What to plant with strawberries??

[Greenfingerpaula]

Ok, so I've transplanted all my runners, I'm setting them up in baskets ready for next year as I seem to be pretty good at keeping strawb plants over winter - but I want to add a bit of something to the baskets, could I add a mint to the basket? I have various types of mint and was thinking maybe adding a chocolate mint to 1 of the baskets, as they hang near my back door so I would get the smell from the mint and the beauty of the strawbs...... Any suggestions?

[Greenfingerpaula]

I was also thinking of adding some muscari armeniacum bulbs into 1 of the baskets, to give a lovely purple contrast to the strawbs?

[veggiechicken]

Not mint - too pushy What about salad leaves - cut and come again type?

[Greenfingerpaula]

I did think of salad leaves - some of those I got this morning perhaps lol - but could I sow those in now?

[Greenfingerpaula]

Oh wait, I just read the pack and answered my own question there - not til next year lol. I'll sow some salad in my greenhouse soon though

[WendyC]

I wouldn't plant mint, it's very vigorous and will swamp the strawberries. Grape hyacinths also are quite strong growers, although I don't know the particular variety you have mentioned. Crocuses would not interfere with the strawberries as they will have come and gone before the strawberries get going.

[Greenfingerpaula]

Ohhh so that's what those flowers are - there's me tryin to he all posh using the proper name lol!!

Not too keen on crocuses to be honest, I'll have to have a think....

[Two_Sheds]

So did you find that the strawbs cropped well in a basket?

(I've never found them to do very well: I def. wouldn't share the space, unless it was something that was done & over before May or after Aug, when the strawbs had finished)

[Greenfingerpaula]

Yeah two sheds I did get quite a few strawbs from my 1 basket, to be honest we have such a nightmare with slugs and squirrels round here it's my only choice! But yeah I was happy with what I got and so next year I'll have 3 times as much and be even happier

I think I will just leave them be - until I get a bit more experienced in gardening

[Whitney]

The best candidates for companion planting strawberries are herbs. The most recommended is Borage because it is an excellent deterrent of insects that prey on strawberries. It is also a very potent drawer of pollinators that helps attract predators that eat insects harmful to strawberry.